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Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead '''''Left 4 Dead''''' is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_gameplay cooperative] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-person_shooter first-person shooter] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game video game]. It was developed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle_Rock_Studios Turtle Rock Studios], which was purchased by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valve_Corporation Valve Corporation] during development. The game uses Valve's proprietary [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_(game_engine) Source engine], and is available for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows Windows] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360 Xbox 360]. Development on the game was completed on November 13, 2008 and was released digitally on November 17, 2008 and at retail on November 18, 2008 in North America, In Australia on November 18, 2008 and on November 21, 2008 in Europe and Japan. Set during the aftermath of an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_apocalypse apocalyptic] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandemic pandemic], the game pits its four protagonists—dubbed the "Survivors"—against hordes of the infected. There are four game modes: a single-player mode in which allied characters are controlled by AI; a four-player, co-op campaign mode; an eight-player online versus mode; and a four-player survival mode. In all modes, an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_artificial_intelligence artificial intelligence] (AI), dubbed the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#AI_and_the_Director Director]", controls level pacing and item placements, in an attempt to create a dynamic experience and increase [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replay_value replay value]. ''Left 4 Dead'' was well received by the industry media upon its release, with praise given for its replay value, focus on cooperative play, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film movie]-like experience. Several criticisms were aimed at limited level selection and the lack of a narrative. The game has won several publication awards, as well as distinctions from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_of_Interactive_Arts_%26_Sciences Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Academy_Video_Games_Awards British Academy of Film and Television Arts]. As was done with ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Fortress_2 Team Fortress 2]'', Valve plans on supplementing the game with free downloadable content. The first of these, called the "Survival Pack", was released on April 21, 2009. The second piece of DLC was charged for via Xbox Live and came in the form of a new Campaign entitled "Crash Course," released for both the PC and Xbox 360 on September 29, 2009. The popularity of the game led to the development of a sequel, ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead_2 Left 4 Dead 2]'', which was released November 17, 2009. ''Left 4 Dead'' will be brought to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X Mac OS X] along with other Valve games in mid-2010, allowing for cross-platform support between PC and Mac versions. ''Left 4 Dead'' begins in Pennsylvania, following an outbreak of so-called "Green Flu", a highly contagious virus causing extreme aggression and loss of higher brain functions. Two weeks after the infection of Patient Zero, four immune survivors of the outbreak (Francis, Zoey, Bill, and Louis) make their way through the city of Fairfield, only to discover that the virus is creating [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#Infected_characters new, even more dangerous mutations]. After narrowly avoiding these new infected, along with hordes of others, the survivors are alerted to the presence of an evacuation point at the nearby Mercy Hospital by a passing news [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter helicopter]. Fighting their way through the city's streets, subway and sewers, the survivors are rescued from the hospital's roof by the pilot, only to discover that he is succumbing to the infection. ("''No Mercy''") With Zoey forced to kill the pilot, the helicopter crash lands in an industrial district outside the city. Finding a delivery truck that has been armored by other survivors, the group decides to use it to make their way to the town of Riverside ("''Crash Course''"). Before arriving in the town however, they find the road blocked, and are forced to travel the rest of the way on foot. Following an encounter with an infected madman in the local church, they discover that the town is overrun, and decide to head to a nearby [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boathouse boathouse] for possible rescue. Contacting a small fishing vessel, they manage to reach the city of Newburg on the other side of the river, only to find much of it in flames ("''Death Toll''"). Seeking cover in a large [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse greenhouse], their rest is interrupted when a military [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-130_Hercules C-130 Hercules] passes overhead, leading the survivors to travel through the city's business district towards Metro International Airport. Upon arrival, the group is shocked to see that in an attempt to contain the infection, the military had bombed the airport; the runway however is largely intact, allowing the survivors to fuel up and escape in the waiting C-130 ("''Dead Air''"). Despite this apparent rescue, the survivors once again find themselves alone on the outskirts of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegheny_National_Forest Allegheny National Forest]. Following a series of train tracks through the area, the group find themselves at a functioning, but abandoned, military outpost. After answering a radio transmission, the survivors make their final stand against hordes of infected, before a military [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armoured_personnel_carrier APC] arrives to transport them to Northeast Safe Zone, supposedly the only location in the area yet to be overrun ("''Blood Harvest''"). The survivors then spend the next week travelling south, eventually ending up in the town of Rayford, where an encounter with the infected results in Louis being injured, and Bill sacrificing himself in order to allow the others to escape to safety ("''The Sacrifice''", still to be released). [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Left_4_Dead&action=edit&section=2 edit]]Gameplay [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Left_4_Dead_screenshot.jpg ][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Left_4_Dead_screenshot.jpg ]In ''Left 4 Dead'', the four survivors must fight off infected humans while trying to escape or make their way to a safe house. ''Left 4 Dead'' is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-person_shooter first-person shooter]. In campaign mode, the player takes control of one of the survivors; if four human players are not available, then the remaining survivors are AI-controlled [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_game_bot bots]. They play through the levels fighting off the infected—living humans who have been infected with a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies rabies]-like virus that causes [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosis psychosis], to which the survivors are immune.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-1up.com-2 [3]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-3 [4]] The game is focused on cooperation and team play and thus eshews some "realism" conventions usual in most FPS games of the wider genre; colored outlines of teammates are visible through walls to help players stick together and coordinate their movement. If a survivor falls off a ledge, then they may automatically hang onto it and can only be helped up by another survivor. If a survivor's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_(game_mechanic) health] is depleted, then they become incapacitated and can only be revived by another survivor, at which point they continue playing with a low amount of health that decreases over time. If a survivor has been incapacitated and revived twice without tending to their wounds, then they will experience distorted [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-and-white black-and-white] vision, and the next incapacitation will kill the character. If a survivor takes enough damage while incapacitated, or is not eventually helped up by teammates, then the incapacitated character will die. During "Campaign" mode, if a survivor is killed, then they will [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spawning_(computer_gaming) respawn] in a closet or other enclosed space after a period of time (except during key points in the scenario), but must be freed by another survivor to rejoin the team. Otherwise, the player must wait until the next level.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-4 [5]] However, if all human player survivors are killed or incapacitated, players will have to restart from the last checkpoint. Survivors can share [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-aid_kit first-aid kits] and pain pills and help each other heal. ''Left 4 Dead'' has [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_fire friendly fire] that cannot be disabled, increasing the need for caution around other survivors. On the easy difficulty level, friendly fire does not harm teammates but still registers as having occurred with a notice on the screen saying, "Don't shoot teammates!" The survivors communicate by voice commands that are accessed by quick menus, and some may sound off automatically when performing actions such as reloading or spotting infected.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-5 [6]] Over 1,000 unique lines have been recorded for each survivor.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-411handson-6 [7]] Additional communication of player actions is conveyed through character lights. Also, weapon-mounted flashlights and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzzle_flash muzzle flashes] help the players in determining whether their companions are shooting, performing melee attacks, reloading or moving. Due to control issues and the likelihood of players using a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360_accessories#Headsets LIVE headset], the Xbox 360 version of ''Left 4 Dead'' omits the quick phrases feature.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-making_of_e3_video-7 [8]] The game is experienced through five campaigns that take place in various urban and rural locales. Multiple visual in-game hints—including license plates, park signs, markings on airport equipment, and lines of dialogue spoken by the survivors—suggest that these locations are in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania Pennsylvania],[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-8 [9]] and similarly a memorial wall giving names of those who have died in the infection (actually names of the game's development team) along with their dates of birth and death suggests that the game takes place in October 2009.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-9 [10]] Each campaign is divided into five chapters (except Crash Course, which has two chapters) marked by safe rooms, which are checkpoints where players can heal, re-arm and revive characters who were killed.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-10 [11]] Specifically, the four campaigns are: "No Mercy", an urban setting culminating in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital hospital] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper skyscraper]; "Death Toll", a small-town and countryside setting; "Dead Air", an airport setting; and "Blood Harvest", a woodland and farm setting. A two-level campaign, "Crash Course", was released on September 29, and is set in the outskirts of a small industrial town. The levels have distinct beginnings and ends, but there are a number of alternate routes to follow with more supplies, helping to create a sense of non-linearity.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-gamespot_e3_2008_stageshow-11 [12]] In the final chapter of each campaign, the players must defend a position from an onslaught of infected until rescue arrives.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-411handson-6 [7]] Each campaign typically lasts between 20 and 75 minutes depending on the difficulty level. Both platform versions of the game utilize an achievement system.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-12 [13]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Left_4_Dead&action=edit&section=3 edit]]Survivor characters [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Left_4_Dead_Revised_Cast.jpg ][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Left_4_Dead_Revised_Cast.jpg ]The final design of the survivors, shown on the poster for the "No Mercy" campaign. Left to right: Francis, Bill, Zoey, Louis There are four playable human characters in the game:[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-13 [14]] ''Francis'', a stereotypical biker (voiced by Vince Valenzuela); ''Bill'', a Vietnam Veteran (voiced by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_French_(radio) Jim French]); ''Zoey'', a university student (voiced by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jen_Taylor Jen Taylor]); and ''Louis'', an electronics salesman (voiced by Earl Alexander).[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-14 [15]] Early plans were for players to be randomly assigned to characters but in the final release, players can choose any character—provided that the character has not already been selected—or be randomly assigned an unselected character.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-411handson-6 [7]] Aside from appearances, all of the characters have identical abilities in-game. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Left_4_Dead&action=edit&section=4 edit]]Weapons Survivors are armed with various [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm firearms]. Each player starts the game with an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1911_pistol M1911 pistol].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-411faq-15 [16]] It may be reloaded an unlimited number of times and is the only weapon that the survivor can use when they are incapacitated. When a second pistol is found, the player can [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_wield dual wield] them. At the beginning of each campaign, the player can choose between an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzi Uzi]submachine gun and a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pump-action_shotgun pump-action shotgun]. As the survivors progress through a campaign, more powerful weapons can be found: the fully automatic [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16A3 M16A3] assault rifle (an upgrade to the Uzi), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benelli_M4_Super_90 Benelli M4 Super 90] semi-automatic shotgun (an upgrade to the pump-action shotgun), and a scoped [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruger_Mini-14 Ruger Mini-14] hunting rifle. A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashlight flashlight] that can be toggled on and off is mounted on each firearm, with the exception of additional pistols. In addition to firearms, a player can also carry three other items in their inventory: improvised grenades (either a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov_cocktail Molotov cocktail] or a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_bomb pipe bomb] modified with an attached smoke alarm designed to attract the infected to it before it explodes);[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-411faq-15 [16]] a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_aid_kit first aid kit], which can be used to heal any survivor and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analgesic pain pills], which provide temporary health that depletes gradually and quicker with damage from infected, and can be handed to teammates for later use. Regardless of what weapon or item a player is using, a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melee melee] attack can be used to shove away any infected within reach. Also available are environmental weapons, such as gas cans, propane cylinders, and oxygen tanks, all of which explode when shot. These environmental weapons can be picked up, moved, and used as a melee weapon by the survivors, but while carrying an object they cannot use their weapons or health items. Strategically-placed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minigun minigun] turrets are also encountered at various locations throughout the different maps. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Left_4_Dead&action=edit&section=5 edit]]Infected characters The infected (voiced by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experimental_music experimental musician] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Patton Mike Patton] and voice actor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore])[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-16 [17]] are the survivors' foes in ''Left 4 Dead'', and they appear to be partly inspired by the infected from several modern films, including''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_of_the_Dead_(2004_film) Dawn of the Dead]'', ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/28_Days_Later 28 Days Later]'', or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarantine_(film) Quarantine].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-17 [18]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-cavg-18 [19]] An important distinction from the former is that while the infected do resemble traditional [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undead undead] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie zombies], they are, as cited in the game's manual, living humans infected with a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies rabies]-like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathogen pathogen], very much like the infected in the latter film. While they are never seen eating human flesh or brains (although multiple 'survivors' who have been killed by the infected appear throughout the game, and appear to have been partially eaten. One such victim can be heard saying "I can't believe he bit me!" before being encountered later on, fully infected.), the manner in which they are portrayed is meant to create and sustain a more brutal, believable reality for the player to become immersed in. In an interview with 1Up.com, Mike Booth commented on the concept of using a pathogen as an inspiration for the setting: The common infected encountered during the game are fast and agile, weak individually, but may be overwhelming in numbers. They display a special attraction to high-pitched alarm-type sounds, such as the beeping device attached to pipe bombs and car alarms. Common infected will often chase down the source of these noises while ignoring lower-pitched, but much louder sounds such as gunfire. They occasionally attack in masses referred to in-game as a "horde".[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-Infected_Guide-19 [20]] In addition to the common infected, there are five "special" or "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boss_(video_games) boss]" infected whose mutations grant them special attacks that make them far more dangerous. Each of the special infected, as well as approaching hordes, have a distinctive sound or a timely [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitmotif musical cue], making their presence easily recognizable by players. There are five special infected in ''Left 4 Dead''.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-Left_4_Dead.E2.80.94Infected-20 [21]] The Boomer is a bloated infected that can spit vision-impairing bile on the Survivors that attract hordes of infected, and explodes on death, spewing more bile in the immediate area. The Hunter is an agile foe that can jump and pounce on a Survivor, and then tear at his victim until he is knocked off or killed. The Smoker has a long tongue that he can use to ensnare a Survivor and then drag him back to himself, either attacking the Survivor directly, allowing the horde to attack the Survivor, or leaving the Survivor suspended over a cliff or roof edge; the Smoker only releases its victim if the tongue is shot or on death, at which point it dies in a burst of vision-clouding smoke for a brief period. The Tank is a gigantic muscular infected that has the ability to swipe at Survivors, knocking them off their feet and incapacitating them; it can also knock cars and other debris into the Survivors. The Witch is a passive female infected that stays in a spot, crying; Survivors can sneak by the Witch, but if they should disturb her with light or loud noises, she will become aggressive and attack the Survivor that alerted her, usually incapacitating the Survivor and attacking him until she or the Survivor is killed. Each of these special infected is preluded to players through special audio cues; for example, the Witch's cries or the Smoker's coughs can be heard before they are seen, while certain musical cues will alert the players to the presence of a Hunter in the area. One special infected did not make it into the game. The "Screamer" was an infected strapped in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straitjacket straitjacket] and let out a loud, high-pitched scream when it sighted the survivors, thus forcing the survivors to find and kill it before it screamed, resulting in a horde of common infected. However, it ended up being too difficult for players to figure out where the Screamer came from or where it was going or even understand that they were meant to chase it. Because of the confusion, it was replaced by the Boomer. In versus mode, four additional players can take control of the special infected—apart from the witch, who remains computer-controlled. Each infected player is randomly assigned a class of special infected when they enter a[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spawning_(computer_gaming) spawn mode]. While in spawn mode, the infected can quickly roam around the map in search of an appropriate place in which to spawn. This location must be sufficiently distant from any survivor, out of the line of sight of any survivor, and outside restricted areas such as safe rooms. Upon death, the infected player must wait up to 10–25 seconds before reentering spawn mode, depending on how many players are on the infected team. When a tank is spawned in the game, infected players receive a message indicating which player will control it. The human-controlled infected can see their teammates' outlines through walls similar to the survivors, but can also see each survivor's outline, which is colored according to the survivor's health and fades out if the survivor refrains from attacking, running and vocalizing. Vertical pathways exclusive to the infected, such as pipes and vines, are marked with animated symbols for the infected players. These can be climbed and used for ambushes. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Left_4_Dead&action=edit&section=6 edit]]AI and the Director See also: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlinear_gameplay Nonlinear gameplay][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Left_4_Dead_Director_Intensity.jpg ][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Left_4_Dead_Director_Intensity.jpg ]In ''Left 4 Dead'', the AI Director computes each player's "stress level" based on a variety of factors to better pace the game and provide a fair challenge. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_artificial_intelligence artificial intelligence] of ''Left 4 Dead'' features a dynamic system for game dramatics, pacing and difficulty called the "Director". Instead of fixed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spawn_point spawn points] for enemies, the Director places enemies and items in varying positions and quantities based upon each player's current situation, status, skill and location, creating a new experience for each playthrough.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-411handson-6 [7]] The Director also creates mood and tension with emotional cues, such as visual effects, dynamic music, and character communication.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-making_of_e3_video-7 [8]] Valve has termed this dynamic set-up "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergent_gameplay#Emergent_narrative procedural narrative]".[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-21 [22]] In addition to the AI Director, there is a second Director that controls music. It was created as a way to keep the music interesting throughout the game. The music Director monitors what a player has experienced to create an appropriate mix. The process is client-side and done by a multi-track system. Each player hears their own mix, which is being generated as they play through the game, and dead players watching a teammate hear their teammates' mix.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-22 [23]] A far simpler version of the A.I. Director was previously used for some key battles in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-Life_2:_Episode_Two Half-Life 2: Episode Two]''.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-23 [24]] Valve is looking for ways to apply the Director in their future games to make pacing and difficulty more dynamic.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-24 [25]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Left_4_Dead&action=edit&section=7 edit]]Game modes ''Left 4 Dead'' contains four game modes: campaign, versus, survival, and single-player. The cooperative campaign consists of up to four human-controlled survivors who attempt to make their way between safe rooms and eventually to rescue. In this mode, the special infected are controlled by the AI. In a versus campaign, each team of one to four players plays each chapter of the campaign as both survivor and infected, swapping sides once per chapter.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-L4Dreview-Gamespot-25 [26]] Unlike campaign mode, dead survivors do not respawn. If at least one player-controlled survivor finishes the level, the survivor team earns 100 points as well as bonus points based on their health and the health items in their inventory. These points are then multiplied by the chapter's difficulty level, and the number of survivors who finished. If all player-controlled survivors are killed, the survivor team only earns points according to their average progress through the chapter and the difficulty multiplier.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-26 [27]] Survival mode consists of a timed challenge where players try to survive as long as possible against a never-ending flood of the infected, added in April 2009 in the Survival Pack downloadable content.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#cite_note-IGN_L4D_DLC1-27 [28]]Single-player mode is basically the same as campaign mode, but played offline with three AI-controlled bots as the other survivors. On Xbox 360, other players can join in on the same console to turn single player into an offline co-op game. The game can also be played through a system link, or local area network. Players have also discovered a way to do splitscreen co-op play with the PC version. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Left_4_Dead&action=edit&section=8 edit]]Production